Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents completed an investigation on Dec. 13 that resulted in an arrest of a Chalmette man.

Agents arrested Gerald P. Ruiz IV, 19, for violating charter guide regulations, violating hunting guide regulations, taking alligators without a license, taking alligators from an unapproved area, failing to tag deer, taking deer using illegal methods, taking deer during a closed season, hunting deer from a public road, intentional concealment of wildlife, selling fish caught recreationally and failing to comply with recreational offshore landing permit requirements.

Agents started an investigation into Ruiz when they received information about him offering an illegal guide service.  Ruiz’s advertisement offered charter fishing trips and duck hunts with Ruiz listed as CEO of the company.  Agents found out that Ruiz did not possess commercial guide licenses and was selling catfish that he caught recreationally.

During the investigation, agents also learned that Ruiz harvested an alligator in September without an alligator hunting license and using a tag that was not for the area he hunted.  Agents also discovered evidence that Ruiz harvested a deer with a rifle during the archery only season that he failed to tag.

Violating charter guide regulations, violating hunting guide regulations, hunting deer during a closed season, intentional concealment of wildlife, and taking an alligator from an unapproved area brings up to a $950 fine and 120 days in jail for each offense.  Hunting deer utilizing illegal methods carries up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.  Selling fish caught recreationally carries up to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail.  Failing to tag deer, hunting deer from a public road and not possessing an alligator license brings up to a $350 fine for each offense.  Failing to possess an offshore landing permit brings up to a $50 fine.

Ruiz also faces civil restitution totaling $3,625 for the illegally taken deer and alligator.  Agents booked Ruiz into the St. Bernard Parish Jail.

Participating agents are Lt. Adam Young, Sgt. Jason Gernados, Corporal Austin Landry, Senior Agent Heather Fitzgerald and Agent Austin Wiles.